Support structure for a bathinette



March 15, 1966 R. H. SMITH SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR A BATHINETTE 2 Sheeizs--Sheei'I 1 Filed Jan. 2l, 1963 /4'3 Fig. 4

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March 15, 1966 R. H. SMITH 3,239,846

SUPPORT STRUCTURE Foa A BATHINETTE Filed Jan. 21, 1955 2 Sheets--Sheei'l 2 INVENTOR.

Robert H. Smfh BY WHITEHEAD, VOGL 8: LOWE PERM Fig. H ATTORNEYS 3,239,846 SUPPURT STRUCTURE FOR A BATHINETTE Robert H. Smith, Boulder, Colo., assignor to K.C.S., Inc., Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Filed lian. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 252,634 9 Claims. (Cl. 4 4) This invention relates to bathing facilities for infants and more panticuilarly to combined tub and table bathing and dressing units for infants which are commonly referred to as bathinettes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved arrangement for supporting a bathinette which is adapted to hold the bathinette above the rim of a conventional adults bathtub and at a position which is especially suited and ideally situated for bathing and caring for an infant. As such, the invention will be hereinafter referred to as a support structure for a bathinette or simply as a bathinette support.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved support structure for a bathinette which is adapted to be mounted directly over the outer rim of a conventional bathtub when it is in use and is further adapted to shift across the tub and to swing upwardly against the recess wall at the foot of the tub to be completely out of the way where it is not in used.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved bathinette Isupport which may be quickly, easily, and securely mounted over and upon a conventional bath tub and within and against the recess wall of the tub to securely hold the bathinette in an extended position over the outer rim of the tub when in use or in a retracted position against the recess Wall above the foot of the tub when not in use and which may be quickly, easily, and completely removed from this positioning upon the tub and in Ithe recess after the bathinette has served its purpose and is no longer needed, all without significantly marring or otherwise marking or damaging the tub or the surfaces of the recess walls and ceiling above the tub.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improved bathinette for a support structure, which is a simple, neat-appearing, compact, low-cost, reliable, rugged and durable unit.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, all of which more fully hereinafter appear, my invention comprises certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts and elements as hereinafter described, defined in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a bathinette and the support structure positioned above the rim of the bathtub for use.

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of the bathinette and support structure, but with the bathinette being in a retracted position.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of portions of the bathinette and support structure as taken from the indicated arrow 3 at FIG. 1.

FIGURE 4 is an end elevational View of portions of the bathinette and support structure as taken from the indicated arrow 4 at FIG. 1.

FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of portions of the support structure per se, the bathinette being removed to better show the structure frame.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional detail as viewed substantially from the indicated line 6 6 at FIG. 5 but on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary portion of the bathinette and support structure as viewed from the indicated line 7-7 of FIG. 5, but with certain portions being removed ited States Patent 0 and other portions being in section to show parts otherwise hidden from view.

FIGURE 8 is a base portion of a support leg with a portion thereof being in section to better exemplify its construction.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional detail as taken from the indicated line 9-9 at FIG. 4.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary oblique view of a portion of the supporting structure but illustrating an alternate arrangement of the components thereof.

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary sectional view as taken substantially from the indicated line 11-1ll at FIG. 4, but illustrating an alternate arrangement of the structural elements thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, and to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, my invention is especially though not exclusively, adapted for use over a modern type of bathtub 10 having comparatively flat top rim surface 11 along the front rim wall and across the foot of the tub. A tub of this type is ordinarily enclosed in a recess formed by a back Wall 12 and end walls, including an end wall 13 at the foot of the tub. When a non-rigid, cloth-like tub is used, it is contemplated that this rectangular frame 23 may serve as the rigid component of the rim portion of the tub.

One end of this rectangular frame is supported upon a transverse, horizontally-disposed slide bar 2S which is C-shaped or of any other suitable section to carry a sliding head 26 within the bar. This sliding head 26 is connected to the leg of an L-shaped bracket 27, which extends into the slot of the bar 25. The other leg of this bracket 27 is hingedly connected to the end of the frame 23 as by being welded onto a tubular hinge tube 2S which embraces the end of the frame 23. Through this connection of the frame to the bar 25, the bathinette is swingably and slidably mounted over the bathtub 10 to permit its position to be changed as hereinafter described.

The slide bar 25 is, in turn, held transversely across and over the foot of the bath-tub 10 with the outer end being aiiixed to a vertical support 29 as by a connective bracket 3i) and with the inner or rear end of the slide bar being affixed to the back wall 12 as by a suction cup 31, all as hereinafter further described.

The vertical support 29 includes a light-weight tube 32 approximately 5 feet long having a head 33 carrying a suction cup 34 at its base end. The suction cup is adapted to be fastened to the top rim surface 11 of the bathtub adjacent to the foot end of the tub. The top end of this tube 32 is formed with a suitable gripping collet 35 which is adapted to receive and to be turned to grip an upper tube 36 which is adapted to be, in turn, telescopically inserted into the first tube 32. The top of this upper tube length 36 is formed with a head 33a and a second suction cup 34a. It follows that this vertical support 29 may be mounted upon the rim of the tub by fastening the suction cup 34 to this rim, Then, the upper tube 36 may be extended upwardly until its suction cup 34a is pressed against and aliixed to the ceiling of the room. Then, the collet 35 is properly turned to tightly secure the vertical support 29, formed by tubes 32 and 36, in position over the bathtub rim 11.

The bracket 30 includes a first square plate 37 which is suitably welded to the tube 32 at a selected height above the base thereof and a second plate 37a of identical form which is welded to the back side of the slide bar 25 at a position near to, but not at, the outer end of the slide bar. The overhang is used because it is desirable to position the ver-tical support 29 at the center of the tub rim 11, and permit the slide bar 25 to slide past this point so that the bathinette 20 is also centered over the tub rim 11 when in position for use as illustrated at FIG. 1. Each plate 37 and 37a is formed with a pair of holes 38 in mutual registration, and connective bolts 39 pass through these holes to secure the plates together to engage the members when the unit is in use. It is to be noted that the holes are at diametrically opposite positions with respect to the normal axis of the plates 37 and 37a to permit the slide bar to be afixed to the tube in one position as for a left-hand bathtub 10, as illustrated, or to a diametrically opposite position to be properly set above a righthand bathtub, not shown.

The slide bar 25, when properly positioned over the foot end of a tub, extends from an outer position outwardly of the vertical support 29 and transversely across the tub to the back wall 12. This back end of the transverse slide bar carries an angle bracket 40 whereon the suction cup 31 is mounted. It follows that this supporting framework, consisting of slide bar 25 may be quickly and easily installed over a bathtub in the position as illustrated at FIG. 1 by first interconnecting the slide bar 25 and the vertical support 29, then setting the suction cups 31 and 34 in place against the bathroom back wall 12 and upon the rim 11 of the tub adjacent to the foot of the tub, and then extending the upper tube 36 until the upper suction cup 34a is affixed to the ceiling.

It is contemplated that in certain installations the bathroom walls will not be of the character susceptible to receiving and holding suction cups, and in such a situation the suction cups may be substituted for a connective disc 41 of any suitable design such as illustrated 'at FIG. 10. Such disc includes suitable sockets for holding wall screws 42, or the like, for positive connection to the wall above the tub. It is to be noted that this modified arrangement will mar the wall and ceiling of the tub recess whereas the suction cups will leave no marks whatsoever. However, it is contemplated that whenever the connective disc at 41 and wall screws 42 are necessary, the wall Irecess and ceiling will be of a character which will permit quick and easy repairs after the bathinette is no longer needed.

It is contemplated that the bathinette tub will have to be supported several feet above the rim of the tub to permit a mother to reach an infant without having to stoop over, and when the frame 23 holding the tub 20 is extended along the slide bar and swung about hinge 28 to a horizontally disposed position directly labove the rim 11 of the bathtub, it can be supported by a leg 43 depending from the end of the frame 23 opposite to the slide bar 25. This leg 43 is formed with a crotch 44 at its foot which is adapted to set upon and straddle the top surface 11 of the tub. To avoid marring the bathtub, the crotch 44 is covered with a layer of soft, rubber-like plastic material which may be afiixed thereto by any suitable process such as by a dip mold operation.

This leg 43 is preferably, swingably mounted upon the frame 23, so that it may be swung out of the way when not in use, with the swinging means being a tubular hinge 46 carried upon the end of the frame 23.

Various structural arrangements may be used for forming the frame 23 and the hinge members 28 and 46 supporting the sliding head and the leg. And in the form herein disclosed the frame 23 is formed as a U-shaped member, with the hinge tube 28 being wrapped about the base portion 47 of this U. The leg portions 48 of the U form the sides of the frame and inturned ends 49 of the U hold the tubular hinge 46. The ends 49 are spaced apart sufficiently to telescopically receive a length of each end of the tube hinge 46 so that the tube hinge closes the rectangular frame 23. In use it is desirable to lock the hinge 46 at selected positions such as at the depending position illustrated at FIG. 1 or extended position as illustrated at FIG. 2. To effect this locking action, a pin 50 is mounted upon a fiat spring 51 to extend into an orifice 52 in the wall of an inturned frame end 49. The tubular hinge 46 includes one or more orifices 53, and one of the orifices 53 will register with the orifice 52 whenever the tube hinge is rotated to a selected position with respect to the frame Ias at the position illustrated at FIG. 1 to permit the pin 50 to move into both orifices to lock the tubes together.

The leg 43 is adapted to swing about its hinge through a -degree arc, from its depending position illustrated at FIG. 1, to an extended position parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tub, as illustrated at FIG. 2, as when the tub is retracted by shifting it over the adult bathtub 10 and swinging it upwardly against the end wall 13. In order to permit this swinging action and avoid interference of the edge rim 21 of the bathinette tub 20, the leg 43 may be affixed to its tubular hinge 46 by an offset, triangular plate 54.

As a further modification, the leg 43 may be adapted to swing about a 270-degree are to place it directly over the top of the bathinette 20 to a completely retracted position when the bathinette is swung upwardly and against the wall 13. Where a 270-degree swing is desired, the offset plate 54 must be modified to a dog-leg form 54a so that the leg 43 will lie upon and over the rim 21 of the bathinette tub 20. Also, to provide for this arrangement, any overhanging portion of the rim 21 must be removed from the bathinette tub 20 at the hinge 46.

To reiterate, use of the invention is an extremely simple matter once the slide bar 25 is mounted in position with the vertical support 29. When so mounted, the frame 23 carrying the bathinette tub 20 is positioned on the bar 25 by sliding the head 26 into the slide bar groove. The bathinette is easily positioned correctly above the outer side wall 15 of the adult tub by lowering the leg 43 until its foot straddles the rim of the tub. The bathtub may be used for bathing an infant, and then a platform, not shown, may be placed over the tub to hold the infant upon its fiat deck while the infant is being dried and dressed.

When not in use the bathinette may be shifted along the slide bar 25 to a position within the tub recess and directly over the tub thence, it may be swung upwardly to a position past the vertical center of the hinge 28 and against the end wall 13, as illustrated at FIG. 2. The leg 43 may then be swung upwardly and out of the way as illustrated, or if a modified hinge plate 54a, FIG. 11, is used the leg may be swung through a 270-degree arc to lie across the top of the bathinette tub 20. With this construction, it will be necessary to swing the leg over the bathinette tub before it is swung upwardly against the wall.

While I have now described my invention in considerable detail, it is obvious that others skilled in the art can build and devise alternate and equivalent constructions which are nevertheless within the spirit and scope of my invention; hence, I desire that my protection he limited not by the constructions illustrated and described but only by the proper scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a bathtub mounted in a wall recess including a back wall and a bathinette, a retractable bathinette support structure adapted to hold the bathinette in a horizontal position substantially over a side rim edge of the bathtub and at one end thereof, as in a position for use, and to permit the bathinette to be shifted laterally to a position substantially over the center of the bathtub and to be swung upwardly above the end of the bathtub, as in a position for storage, and comprising:

(a) a transversely axised hinge means at each end of the bathinette,

(b) a transversely disposed, substantially horizontal slide bar mounted above the end of the bathtub and extending from said side rim edge of the bathtub and rearwardly therefrom to the back wall,

(c) a slide head slidably affixed t0 the slide bar to shift from a first position over said side rim edge of the bathtub to a second position over the center thereof, and affixed to one of said hinge means to pivot the bathinette about the axis of the hinge means `from a horizontal position to a substantially vertical position;

(d) a -support leg afiixed to the other of said hinge means to pivot about the bathinette and to depend therefrom with the bathinette in a horizontal position and to swing upwardly therefrom and about the bathinette, the length of said leg being such as to reach and to be supported upon said side rim edge of the bathtub when the bathinette is in a horizontal position and is above the side rim edge;

(e) a connecting means adapted to connect the rear end of the slide bar to the back wall; and

(f) an upstanding slide bar supporting post at the outer rim edge of the bathtub, a first means adapted to hold the post in position and a second means -on the post adapted to affix the post to the slide bar, whereby to hold the slide bar in the aforesaid horizontal position above the tub.

2. In combination with a bathtub mounted in a wall recess including a back wall and a bathinette, a retractable bathinette support structure adapted to hold the bathinette in a horizontal position substantially over a side rim edge of the bathtub and at one end thereof, as in a position for use, and to permit the bathinette to be shifted laterally to a position substantially over the center of the bathtub and to be swung upwardly above the end of the bathtub as in a position for storage, and

comprising:

(a) a transversely disposed, substantially horizontal slide bar mounted above said end of the bathtub and extending from said side rim edge of the bathtub and rearwardly therefrom to the back wall,

(b) a slide head slidably affixed to the slide bar to shift from a first position over said side rim edge of the bathtub to a second position over the center thereof,

(c) a transversely axised hinge means incorporated into the slide head and connected to one end of the bathinette to swing the bathinette upon the slide bar from a horizontal position and upwardly to a substantially vertical position; and,

(d) means at the other end of the bathinette adapted to support the bathinette in a horizontal position over said side rim edge of the bathtub,

(e) a connecting means adapted to connect the rear end of the slide bar to the backwall; and

(f) an upstanding slide bar supporting post at the outer rim edge of the bathtub, a first means adapted to hold the post in position and a second means on the post adapted to afiix the post to the slide bar, whereby to hold the slide bar in the aforesaid position above the tub.

3. In combination with a wall-recessed bathtub including a back wall, an end wall and a ceiling at the inner side of, at the end of and above the bathtub, a retractable bathinette structure comprising:

(a) a bathinette tub or substantially rectangular form,

(b) a substantially-rectangular frame having a transversely-axised hinge means at each end thereof, adapted to support the bathinette tub,

(c) a transversely-disposed, substantially-horizontal slide bar above the end of the bathtub adjacent to the end wall and extending from a position over the outer rim of the bathtub to the back wall,

(d) a head slidably carried in said slide bar and connected to one of the frame hinge means whereby to permit the frame and bathinette tub thereon to be shifted transversely along the slide bar and the bathinette tub to be swung about the frame as from a position over the outer rim of the bathtub to a position inwardly therefrom, and to swing thereabout as from a horizontal in-use position over the outer rim of the bathtub, and to an inward, upright storage position against the end wall at the center portion of the bathtub,

(e) a leg pivotally connected to the other frame hinge means adapted to depend from the bathinette tub to rest upon the outer rim of the bathtub when the bathinette is in a horizontal in-use position over the bathtub rim and to swing upwardly to be out of the way when the bathinette is in an upright position against the end wall,

(f) a slide bar supporting post having a suction cup at its base adapted to be aflixed to the outer rim of the bathtub with the post upstanding therefrom and extending upwardly to the ceiling and having a suction cup at its top adapted to connect with the ceiling of the room, and

(g) a means adapted to connect one end portion of the slide bar to the supporting post and a suction cup adapted to connect the other end of the slide bar to the back wall, whereby to support the slide bar in the aforesaid position above the tub.

4. In the combination defined in claim 1, wherein the leg includes a yoke-shaped foot adapted to set upon the rim edge of the bathtub.

5. In the combination defined in claim 1, wherein the bathinette tub is formed with a peripheral rim outstanding from the top of the tub and said leg is connected to the hinge means by an offset plate adapted to permit the leg to swing about the end of the tub.

6. In the combination defined in claim 1, wherein the said leg is connected to the hinge means by an offset plate adapted to permit the leg to be swung from the side depending position to a position upon the bathinette tub to be out of the way.

7. In the combination defined in claim 1, including a frame about the bathinette tub with said hinge means being formed upon tubular sections of the frame.

8. In the combination defined in claim 3, wherein the slide bar is removably affixed to the back wall, and the slide bar-supporting post is removably affixed to the top rim of the bathtub and to the ceiling.

9. In the combination defined in claim 3, wherein said leg is formed with a padded fork at its base adapted to embrace and be secured on the outer rim of the bathtub.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,036,506 4/1936 Seaward 4-4 2,614,264 10/ 1952 Schmidt.

2,700,776 2/1955 Walters 4-177 2,715,736 S/l955 Pearlson 4-177 2,902,699 9/1959 Miller a 4-177 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

FRANK H. BRANAUGH, LEWIS I. LENNY,

Examiners. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A BATHTUB MOUNTED IN A WALL RECESS INCLUDING A BACK WALL AND A BATHINETTE, A RETRACTABLE BATHINETTE SUPPORT STRUCTURE ADAPTED TO HOLD THE BATHINETTE IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY OVER A SIDE RIM EDGE OF THE BATHTUB AND AT ONE END THEREOF, AS IN A POSITION FOR USE, AND TO PERMIT THE BATHINETTE TO BE SHIFTED LATERALLY TO A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE CENTER OF THE BATHTUB AND TO BE SWUNG UPWARDLY ABOVE THE END OF THE BATHTUB, AS IN A POSITION FOR STORAGE, AND COMPRISING: (A) A TRANVERSELY AXISED HINGE MEANS AT EACH END OF THE BATHINETTE, (B) A TRANVERSELY DISPOSED, SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL SLIDE BAR MOUNTED ABOVE THE END OF THE BATHTUB AND EXTENDING FROM SAID SIDE RIM EDGE OF THE BATHTUB AND REARWARDLY THEREFROM TO THE BACK WALL, (C) A SLIDE HEAD SLIDABLY AFFIXED TO THE SLIDE BAR TO SHIFT FROM A FIRST POSITION OVER SAID SIDE RIM EDGE OF THE BATHTUB TO A SECOND POSITION OVER THE CENTER THEREOF, AND AFFIXED TO ONE OF SAID HINGE MEANS TO PIVOT THE BATHINETTE ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE HINGE MEANS FROM A HORIZONTAL POSITION TO A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION; (D) A SUPPORT LEG AFFIXED TO THE OTHER OF SAID HINGE MEANS TO PIVOT ABOUT THE BATHINETTE AND TO DEPEND THEREFROM WITH THE BATHINETTE IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION AND TO SWING UPWARDLY THEREFROM AND ABOUT THE BATHINETTE, THE LENGTH OF SAID LEG BEING SUCH AS TO REACH AND TO BE SUPPORTED UPON SAID SIDE RIM EDGE OF THE BATHTUB WHEN THE BATHINETTE IS IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION AND IS ABOVE THE SIDE RIM EDGE; (E) A CONNECTING MEANS ADAPTED TO CONNECTED THE REAR END OF THE SLIDE BAR TO THE BACK WALL; AND (F) AN UPSTANDING SLIDE BAR SUPPORTING POST AT THE OUTER RIM EDGE OF THE BATHTUB, A FIRST MEANS ADAPTED TO HOLD THE POST IN POSITION AND A SECOND MEANS ON THE POST ADAPTED TO AFFIX THE POST TO THE SLIDE BAR, WHEREBY TO HOLD THE SLIDE BAR IN THE AFORESAID HORIZONTAL POSITION ABOVE THE TUB. 